Dress Up [A T'Challa Udaku Story]

Chapter 9

"Oh babycakes! We're so proud of you!" Sirobie's mom gushed once everyone made it inside the apartment safely, the paparazzi trapped outside of the building. "Thanks, Mama," the new college graduate smiled as all of her family members pulled her in for a hug. "Siri, Siri," Soleil tugged on her sister's gown to be picked up. "What would you like to eat?" Her father asked as he looked at nearby restaurants on his phone.

"There's a good Italian place nearby, we could order three or four family-style meals. Some of my friends from Wakanda are coming and DaNiyah and Angela's families."

"Sounds good to me," Naomi Johnson smiled as she smoothed down her daughter's hair while she played with her younger sister. "You guys get whatever you want, I haven't had anything I haven't liked since I've gone there."

"Bet, I call first pick," Ahj yelled as he jumped over Sirobie's couch to join his dad in the kitchen. "Boy if you don't stop jumping over my furniture," Sirobie fussed and her father popped her brother on the back of his head. "Ow, jeez. It's not like it won't be my apartment in a few months anyway. "Says who?" Richard Johnson questioned as he scanned the restaurant menu. "I mean I'm coming to Howard anyway, why can't I just stay here?"

"Nice try, but you've got to live on campus, your first year little brother." Sirobie laughed as her brother's cocky face fell. "Man what? I'm too pretty for communal bathrooms."

Sirobie's mother took her youngest daughter into her arms and rolled her eyes at her son. "You'll get over it."

"Just look at it as a right of passage," Sirobie shrugged, finally taking off her gown and cap. "Wait, wait," her mother frowned, "I wanna take some more pictures when the girls get here."

"Mama," the filmmaker whined. "Mama," Naomi mocked her eldest, "Just go hang it up and be ready to put it back on when everyone else gets here."

"Fine," Sirobie sighed and went into her room to hang up her gown, not before grabbing Soleil's hand as she insisted that she walk with her. "Siri, I wanna come stay with you," Soleil pouted as her sister hung her garb up in the closet. "What? You won't miss your friends at school?"

"Nope," the four-year-old shook her head. "Well what about mama and daddy, they'd miss you."

"No they won't, they'll have Ahj."

"Well, you remember how I left home and you only saw me ever so often?" the preschooler nodded. "Well, Ahj is about to do that too. Mama and daddy are gonna need you."

"Oh, but I wanna see you."

"Well how about I see if you can stay with me for a few weeks before I start working. How does that sound?" Sirobie smiled and pinned the graduation cap to her little sister's clacker balls and twists. Soleil nodded and a little grin lit up her face. "When will I get to meet Challa?"

Sirobie froze as her little sister giggled at her reflection with the too big hat on. For a moment, she'd forgotten that Soleil had met and instantly loved the king over the phone. "I wanna see his big house."

"I don't know soso," the big sister sighed.

"Are you sad?"

"Yeah, just a little."

"Cause you miss Challa?"

"Yeah, but it's more complicated than that little one."

What's compicated?"

"It means it's hard to understand munchkin."

The little girl nodded but the doorbell interrupted her before she could ask another question. "Let's go see who's at the door huh?"